


Aftermaths - Requiem

by leoraine



Series: Aftermaths [1]
Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-20
Updated: 2011-06-19
Packaged: 2017-10-19 15:06:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/202178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leoraine/pseuds/leoraine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Magnus wants tea, Will wants to sleep. Biggie wants to know what happened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First of a series of post-eps and missing scenes. This one is for Requiem.
> 
> ETA: Beta-read by Tania

By the time the submarine had reached the port, their clothes were barely damp anymore. Helen ad stopped shivering and most of the adrenaline that had kept Will on his feet seemed to dissolve the moment he stepped onto dry land. He stumbled, almost falling down on his knees and kissing the ground, which would have been rather poetic but not something Will wanted to do. So he straightened up, regaining his balance and throwing Magnus a reassuring smile. She looked a little wobbly herself, still too pale for his liking, so Will reached out and offered her his arm. She gave him a slight raise of her eyebrows and with a smile accepted it. Together they made it to the car, with the Big guy behind the wheel.

"Good to see you Biggie," Will said and ignored the confused look he was getting in return.

"You saw me yesterday," the Big guy growled, then shot a pointed look at Magnus. "Are you two okay?"

"We're fine, my friend," Magnus spoke with a smile. "But we had a hard day and a cup of tea at home and some dry clothes sound more than enticing, don't you agree Will?"

Will snorted at the understatement of the year, but nodded. "I‘d skip the tea in favor of clean clothes and bed, thank you."

Big Guy grumbled something under his breath which Will totally missed, but Magnus must've thought was funny because her smile widened. Will leaned back in the seat, pondering silently about Helen Magnus. Only a few hours ago, she had been infected with a wicked parasite, killed by Will himself, and then brought back to life. But here she was, speaking softly to Big guy, a smile on her face and not a sign of worry. Sure she looked tired and in need of sleep, but there was no other sign of the stress they had endured. No shaking hands, no nervous chatter or total silence. She acted as if they‘d returned from a normal mission, as if nothing happened. Shaking his head, Will let out a sigh and decided that if Magnus wasn't about to keel over any moment, and they weren't trapped in a tin can anymore, he could as well get some rest. Closing his eyes, Will let the drive and the soft voices lull him into a slight slumber. He wasn't deeply asleep, he could still hear Magnus talking, telling the Big guy what needed to be done once they arrived home, listening to what had happened during the time they were without contact, and how Sally was handling the situation.

He would've slumbered away the drive, but the car jerked to a sudden stop. Will's head hit the side window and he was startled, eyes wide open and momentarily unseeing.

"Magnus!" He shouted and looked around frantically.

"Will? It's okay," she said as she grabbed his arm and squeezed. Will blinked and then blushed when he registered where he was and saw the Big guy's eyes in the rearview mirror, watching him.

"Oh, s-sorry. I thought..."

"You fell asleep Will. Some kid ran into the road so we had to stop abruptly." Magnus explained, the car already in motion and Big guy growling about irresponsible children, while at the same time glancing into the mirror, keeping an eye on his passengers.

"Are you okay?" She asked when Will shook his head, trying to clear it, but ended up hissing in pain. "Yeah, though my head doesn't enjoy being smashed against the door," he said with a little accusation, to which Biggie responded with a grunt. Magnus frowned and Will could see the cogs turning in her head. He winced when she suddenly tensed.

"I hit you on the head with a wrench, didn't I?"

Will wasn't sure what to say, so he just shrugged."You weren't yourself," came the feeble the reply. "And I tried to kill you after, so I guess we're kind of even?"

Magnus raised her eyebrows and a small grin appeared.

"I'm not sure it works that way, Dr. Zimmerman," she said and Will rolled his eyes at the name.

"It will have to do, I'm not keen on letting you try and get even any other way," he said and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. Magnus moved her hold on his arm down to his wrist and Will felt her fingers push against his pulse points.

"I'm okay, really," he said softly and gave her a smile.

"I think it was enough role reversal for one day, Will. You took care of me on the sub, but we're back on the ground. You don't have to try and protect me from my own actions anymore."

"I didn't realise it was a one day deal," Will frowned and Magnus paused. "Family takes care of each other, no matter who is who. Or does it work differently these days?"

"Of course not, Will," Magnus protested, and then sighed. "I might be tired myself and not exactly fit for conversation. I just meant... You can let go now. We're safe. I know what I did wasn't my fault, that it wasn't my doing, but I would feel much better if I made sure that whatever wounds were made would be taken care of properly."

"As long as it applies both ways." Will said, giving her a pointed look.

"Of course, I wasn't implying anything else," she answered with a small smile and gave his hand a squeeze before letting go. Will looked at her for a moment, then with a half content sigh leaned back and pretended to look out the window. The rest of the drive passed in silence.


	2. Chapter 2

When they arrived home, Henry was already waiting for them impatiently. He didn't have all the facts, but the scans and some of the info Magnus sent ahead were scary on their own. Not to mention that Sally was rather nervous and projecting her feelings all around. So while Will wanted nothing more than to take a quick shower, change his clothes and maybe grab some pills for his growing headache and lay down, he knew it wouldn‘t be so easy. As soon as Henry spotted Magnus and Will, he rushed towards them with a pad in hand, the questions coming out of him in a rush. Surprisingly, it was Biggie that silenced him with a grunt.

“They need to get changed and a trip to the infirmary. Leave your questions for later.”

Henry frowned, taking in the tired look on both Will and Magnus, and clammed his mouth shut, stopping the protest in mid air. Magnus smiled and tapped Biggie's hand.

“Thank you my friend, but I'm afraid there's some work to do before we can rest properly.” She turned to Henry and reached out for the pad, to take a look. “Are there any news about the infection? Any other possible outbreaks?”

“Nope, all looks clear. No more problems reported, so far. Are you okay? You know, this stuff can wait a little longer. You two look beat.”

“We experienced some trouble on our way back and could use the rest, but first I need to let Sally know what happened. Will, do you feel up to coming with me, or would you rather wait for me in the infirmary?”

Will blinked, not quite sure if he wanted to go to the infirmary at all. If he did go, it would only be to make sure Magnus was really alright and that no lasting damage had been done by the parasite or his own doings. While the thought of letting a telepathic mermaid know about the tragic fate of her people wasn't on the top of his list, he realised that it was his job. He was the psychiatrist after all, and even though Magnus was better fitted for the job, she knew Sally much longer than Will, he should at least be present.

“Of course I'll go with you.” Will said and Magnus gave him a thankful smile. He returned it with one of his own.

“I'll go make some tea,” the Big Guy grumbled and Magnus let out a wistful sigh.

“That will be much appreciated.”

Will was of half-mind to call after him that he would like some coffee instead, but stopped himself. He felt jittery enough as it was and there was still hope he would get to bed sooner rather than later. Better not get boosted with the coffeine.

“Where's Ashley?” Magnus asked, breaking through his line of thoughts and Henry grimaced.

“She went out shopping,” he said and gave an apologetic shrug when Magnus huffed.

“Again? Do I even want to know what she does with all those guns?”

“I think it's just ammo this time,” Henry said with a grin. Helen shook her head, and Will was pretty sure there would be a conversation between her and Ashley in the near future, but that it probably wouldn’t involve more than a friendly reminder of expenses and unnecessary spending. Something like a normal discussion between mom and daughter about buying too many clothes, more than she could ever use, only instead of clothes they would talk about guns. Snorting, Will gave only a shrug in reply to Magnus' questioning glance.

“Okay, so if you don't need me for the chat with Sally, I will get back to my array and go over the rest of the readings from Nautilus. Ring me when you have the time to tell me about your trip. I bet it was exciting.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” Will grumbled, while Helen only nodded.

“Dinner's in four hours, Ashley should be back by then. We will go over what happened after that.”

“Sounds good, Doc. I'll be there.”

Henry left too, leaving Magnus and Will alone in the hallway.

“Do you feel up to it, Will?” Magnus asked, studying him and Will instinctively straightened.

“I'm fine. I won't lie to you, I'm not sure what good I will be to Sally, but the least I can do is be there, for both of you.”

“I appreciate it, William,” Magnus said with a light smile, then took a deep breath. “Shall we go then?”

“Ladies first,” Will replied with a sad smile.

Even before they had reached the aquarium, Will could feel the mermaid's emotions rolling thick. The other occupants of the shoe must've been feeling it too because they were nervously prowling around their habitats. Will realized that maybe the jittery feeling he was experiencing wasn't coming from him at all. It was in the air, all around them. Helen walked up to the control panel with a frown, dropping down the shields on all the other occupants habitats, which acted as a damper between them and Sally.

They walked towards the glass wall side by side, but it was Magnus who put her hand on the glass. She didn't have to wait long, seconds later they could see Sally swimming towards them. Will winced as he felt the mermaid reaching out with her mind, trying to communicate, to find out what happened to her people. But she was scared and swirling with emotions, and her communication lacked the usual finesse. Her emotions hit Will like a hammer and he took a step back. Magnus herself looked a little startled, but she didn't budge. Her hand was pressing against the glass, meeting Sally's own palm. Their eyes locked and Will watched in amazement as all the different feelings appeared on both women's faces, all of them matching the emotions inside his mind.

He felt Sally's pain upon learning her kind was gone. He felt the rage, closely followed by loss and disbelief. For a while, it was all he could feel... The crushing feeling of loss and hurt, the feelings so similar to the ones he experienced when his mother died. He could only send out consolation, thoughts of love and support, a silent promise that Sally won't be alone, won't be forgotten. Magnus was also trying to project her support and after a while, the raging emotions seemed to dull down. Sally gave them a nod of thanks, an appreciation of what they've done trying to help, of what they went through. She was the first to break away from the glass, swimming into her safe place, needing to deal with what she learned. There was a feeling of acceptance and something closer to calmness, though Will had a feeling it was more numbness than anything else.

When Magnus looked up, there were tear stains on her face, which was paler than before. She blinked, then reached up, touching her cheek and rubbing away the wetness with a frown.

“Funny, I didn't realise I was crying,” she said, then looked at Will with confusion. She looked at him with such intensity, that Will felt the need to check his own face. He was surprised when his fingers met wetness too.

“Ah, I think Sally was projecting a little too much,” he spoke after a moment. While the death of the merfolk was a tragedy, it wasn't his own pain that had caused the tears. Magnus seemed to come to the same conclusion, because she nodded and with a final sweep brushed away all the tears.

“Yes, you seem to be right, Will. She... Took it hard, but I'm sure with some time and our help, she'll be alright. Now she needs a little space, to get through all the facts. As do we.” Magnus walked back to the control panel and lifted the shields. The occupants of the other habitats seemed already calmer.

“Sally's trying to keep her emotions under control, to stop the projecting,” Magnus explained and Will nodded, rubbing at his eyes.

“I'll schedule a session with her first thing in the morning. I guess we could all use a little rest now.”

“Yes,” Magnus agreed, smiling when she saw the Big guy approaching with two cups of tea. “Ah, great timing my friend,” she took one of the cups, sighing contentedly at the smell. Will blinked, surprised when the Big guy stepped to him and gruffly offered the second cup.

“Uh, thanks, but I'm not exactly thirsty,” he said, and swallowed the sudden feeling of nausea as the smell of jasmine hit his nose. While usually he quite enjoyed the smell, right now it made his stomach churn. He took a step back, wanting to get away from the odor, but the floor seemed to move and everything went blurry for a second. Swaying, Will reached blindly around, trying to stop the movement. His arm landed on something furry and he didn't need to look to know it was the Big guy. There was a grunt from his side, followed by a clatter as the plate with the tea was put down in favor of keeping hold on him. The sound seemed to tune out for few seconds, along with everything else. All he was aware of was the sick feeling in his stomach and the throbbing in his head.

“Crap,” he grunted, when he felt his knees going weak, but there was no fall. A strong arm curled around his waist, propping him up, then lowering him to the ground, slowly and carefully. Will's eyes were shut tight, in hope that it would stop the world from swirling.

“-ill?” As sudenly as the sound vanished, it rushed back. “Will?” he heard Magnus, loud and clear, her voice full of concern.

“Ugh,” he grunted, eyes still tightly shut, one hand reaching up to rub at his temple where the pain seemed to be the worst, only to be intercepted by someone else and pushed down. The hand was small but strong.

“Will, it's okay, you're okay,” Helen Magnus spoke, softly, rubbing at his cheek, while her other hand moved over his skull, checking for any bumps or fractures. She quickly found what she was looking for and Will couldn't stop the yelp of pain that escaped him. His eyes flew open and he blinked furiously, trying to clear his vision.

“Ow,” he said and was rewarded by a sheepish smile.

“Sorry,” Magnus said, her hand leaving the painful spot. “At least you're back with us.”

“I never left,” Will muttered, confused. He hazarded a look around and was relieved to see that the world indeed stopped it's wild dance, though everything looked a little blurred. He wasn't sure what was more scary... The fact he practically blacked out without reason, or the Big guy looming above him, looking worried. He decided the looming sasquatch was the winner.

“I would dare to object. If not for our friend here, you would've hit the floor, hard. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have dragged you here with me.”

“I felt okay,” Will protested and wanted to shake his head, but thought better of it. “I just... Got dizzy. I'm okay now,” he said and tried to get up, but Magnus didn't move, clearly blocking his path.

“I will use my status as your boss and your doctor, and disagree with you on that. You are definitely concussed, and the chat with Sally couldn't have helped things. Mixing telepathy and head injuries wasn't exactly my brightest idea,” Helen said, clearly berating herself. Will opened his mouth to protest, but he didn't get the chance as she reached up and pulled down the skin under each of his eyes, peering into them intently. She hummed, then looked at Big guy, who was waiting patiently for orders.

“I think it's about time we visited the infirmary.”

Biggie grunted in agreement and leant down, grasping at Will's arms and pulling him up without warning.

“Whoa!” Will protested, at first because he didn't think he needed help getting up. But the movement jarred his head and the world weaved around him.

“Slowly!” He heard Helen admonish the Big guy, but all he could concentrate on was the thought of don’t be sick! And the hope that his breakfast wouldn’t land on Big guy's feet. Although, it would serve him right for being so damn fast, Will thought as they started moving.

“I don't get it,” he muttered once they reached the infirmary and was sitting on the bed. He would've preferred his own, but right now he was thankful for the chance to just sit down and be still. “It's been almost eight hours since you knocked me out, why would I just start feeling the effects now?” he asked and his mind went straight to the worse case scenario. “You don't think...”

“That you were infected?” Magnus finished, taking out a pen light and shining it into his eyes. “No. Your blood work was clean, and there was no other chance for contamination. The symptoms don't fit either, but to make sure, I'll draw some more blood. Now follow my finger,” she added and Will did as he was told, trying not to squint. He had to close his eyes after a moment, getting more dizzy. Magnus sighed, but gave him a moment to compose himself.

“I think the concussion you suffered was worsened by Sally's attempt at connection. While usually that wouldn't pose a problem, she was too distracted to control the force of her projection, and your own safety walls were lowered by the head injury.”

“So it was like rubbing at a bruise, right?” Will observed with a grimace, one hand rubbing at his right temple.

“Something like that,” Magnus replied with a smile. “Now the best thing for any bruise is not to rub at it anymore. And because your bruise is on the organ you happen to use quite often, I say that the next best thing is rest.” Of course Magnus needed to run some tests first, to make sure that Will's brain wasn't leaking somewhere, like Big guy suggested . When it was all over and done with and Will was finally allowed to lay back and get some sleep, his eyes popped open on their own volition.

“What about you?” Will said, his eyes crossing in a frown. Magnus rolled her eyes, then patted him on his leg.

“I'm fine, Will. Don't concern yourself.”

“You promised you'll get checked out too,” he reminded her and Big guy let out a cough, which sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Magnus threw him a warning glare, but the Sasquatch just shrugged his shoulder.

“Promises should be kept,” he growled. “I can help, if you'd like, Dr. Magnus.” he added more respectfully and Magnus let out a resigned sigh.

“That would be appreciated, my friend,” she said with a nod, then turned to Will. “Now get some sleep, you cheeky monkey.”


	3. Chapter 3

Two hours later, Will woke up abruptly. He wasn't sure what was the reason, though the rapid heartbeat and the cold sweat covering his skin was a pretty good indication. Blinking, Will rubbed at his eyes, groaning. The headache was still there but at least the dizziness was gone.

“Nightmare?” Came the gruff question and Will jerked, startled.

“I g-guess,” he stuttered as he took in the sight of the Big guy sitting in a chair close to his bed, one finger keeping open the book he was reading. Will frowned, confused.

“Uhm...” Will wanted to ask why was Biggie keeping watch over him, when it clearly wasn't necessary, but he thought it might sound a little ungrateful. “Where's Magnus?” he asked instead and paused at the way his heart skipped a beat and he had a short flashback to the submarine, her lifeless body laying there, eyes open, dead. Shrugging off the image, Will threw back the blanket and sat up, legs dangling above the floor. Big guy took it as a signal that his reading time was over. He put away the book and looked at Will, scrutinizing.

“She's resting. As should you be.”

Will touched the back of his head, wincing when his fingers discovered the tender flesh. Giving a nod, he looked up.

“Is she... okay?” he asked, sheepishly and Big guy rolled his eyes, as if saying 'She's Magnus. That should be enough of an answer.' Instead, he just nodded, then grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like “She said you did good.”

“Oh,” Will didn't know what to say. “I... There was no other choice.”

“You did good,” The Big guy repeated in a voice that broke no argument and laid a hand on Will's shoulder. Will had to look up then, and give a small smile of thanks.

“So... Any reason why you were keeping the bedside vigil?” He asked, ready to change the topic.

“It was as good place to read as any,” Big guy said with a shrug, then gave Will a light push. “Do you know what year it is?”

Will stared at him, then with a smile recited the date along with the name of the president and location.

“Good enough,” Big guy grumbled and stood up, holding out his hand. “Dinner's in an hour. Plenty of time to take a shower. You stink,” he added after taking a whiff of air and Will laughed.

“Hard to believe, after all the water that run over me.” Will grabbed the proffered hand and stood up, happy the room stayed in one place. The short sleep seemed to do him a world of good.

“Thanks,” he said. “For... Keeping watch.”

Big guy raised his eyebrows, then gave a short nod. Will grinned and headed out of the infirmary, not surprised that he had a shadow escorting him all the way to his door, just in case the dizzy spell came back. Somehow, that little gesture felt like so much more. Maybe like finally belonging.

ooo

Despite spending most of the way home in wet clothes, not to mention the quick dunking he got in the ice cold water when Magnus needed to fix the submarine, the hot shower felt like heaven. Will didn't realize he was cold until the heat seeped into his bones. When he got out, he put on a hoodie to preserve some of that heat. He knew that the ocassional shiver running through him was more of a psychological reaction than a sign of hypotermia or a beginning of a cold. If he were to diagnose himself, he would say it was delayed shock. His brain was just starting to process all that happened and Will was pretty sure that he had several sleepless nights laying ahead of him.

Dinner time came shortly after, and Will was once again taken aback by Helen Magnus. She waltzed in, looking fresh and ready to conquer the world, as if the last twenty four hours had never happened. Her smile was radiant and Will couldn't help but wonder if the whole incident wasn't just something he had inagined. But no, it obviously wasn't, as Helen kept glancing at him during the whole dinner, as if keeping watch. And once they were done eating, the barrage of questions started.

Will tried to keep some details to himself, but Magnus didn't feel the same compulsion. She was content to tell Ashley about everything... Starting with how she almost shot Will - 'You should've seen him, Ash, he took out the magazine without me noticing. A true sleight of hand, William,' she shot him a smile and Will blushed, even though they were talking about one of the most terrifying moments of his life. Helen kept on, telling them about the creative way Will chose to kill her. Will shuddered at the memory, his arms curling protectively around his chest. He felt several pairs of eyes on him and he was subconsciously awaiting a barrage of curses and angry exclamations over his actions. He couldn't look up, knowing there would be anger in Ashley's eyes, shock in Henry's. But there was only a short silence, that was abruptly broken by a sigh.

“Wow. Good thinking, Will,” Came from the left and Will blinked, looking up in surprise. It was Ashley, giving him a thoughtful look.

“Yeah, man. Pretty creative. And probably the only way you could bring back the doc. I mean, shooting her would be a pretty one way street. Not like you can take back a bullet. But oxygen deprivation? Yeah, that could work.” Henry thought out loud and Will had to shake his head, to make sure he wasn't hearing something else.

“See? I pick them smart and handsome,” Magnus said with a smile and winked at Will, who was now openly gaping. He wasn't sure who was more crazy... The people around him, who had started coming up with different ways to kill a person and then bring them back to life, or he, because he was hanging out with them and felt like that was the right place to be.

“Dude? Are you even listening?” Henry's voice broke through his thoughts and Will turned to look at him.

“Huh?”

Henry rolled his eyes.

“I was just pointing out the high likelihood of the fact that the parasite might've been created by aliens and dumped down on the merfolk, because they wanted to clear the Bermuda triangle so they could continue with their crazy tests. What do you think?”

There was a raised chorus of protests and rolling eyes and Will let himself get lost in the ridiculous conversation about little grey men and their plans with the Bermuda triangle.

oooo

Several hours later, when everyone was sleeping, Will bolted upright, body covered in cold sweat. The image of Magnus, the cold smile on her face when she cocked the gun and pulled the trigger was fading into background, only to be replaced by her dead eyes, staring accusingly up at Will.

He tried to slow his breathing, hoping he would be able to get back to sleep however horrible it was, but the images just kept popping back.

“Damn it,” he sighed, head in hands. There was no way he would sleep, not unless he replaced the images with different ones. Giving up, he turned on the bedside lamp and reached for some journal he was reading, but his concentration was non-existent and the small letters just brought back the fact he still had a headache. Sighing, Will threw the journal away and got out of bed. It was close to the two a.m. feedings, maybe he could help out Biggie and come to different thoughts. Anything else must be better than lying in bed, thinking.

Will was heading to the feeding area, when he realised that he made a wrong turn and instead was in the part of the building where the offices were situated. Frowning, he was about to turn back, when he noticed light coming from under the door of Magnus' office.

After a light knock he gently pushed the door open. Magnus looked up from her desk, eyebrows raised in surprise that quickly changed into concern.

“Everything all right, Will?”

Will walked in, giving her an uncertain smile.

“Yeah, I think so,” he said, then shrugged and nodded towards the papers on her desk.

“Catching up on paperwork?”

Magnus gave him a once over, and then seemed to come to the conclusion he wasn't in any physical discomfort and her posture relaxed.

“I find this time of night quite useful for paperwork. Not many distractions,” she said with a smile and Will grimaced.

“If there isn’t a psychiatrist wandering the halls at two a.m. you mean.”

Magnus shrugged.

“I'm not saying all distractions are bad. But since you brought it up,” Magnus closed the folders she was reading through, giving her full attention to Will. “Why are you up and wandering the halls at this hour?”

Will shrugged, sitting down in the chair opposite Magnus.

“I slept before dinner,” he reminded her and Helen snorted.

“That was more unconsciousness than real rest, Will.”

He shrugged again, his eyes suddenly looking anywhere but at her.

“Why are you up?” Will asked in return. “Don't tell me the paperwork couldn't wait till morning.”

“It could've,” Magnus admitted. “But I needed some distraction. I thought catching up on the history of the Bermuda triangle would be preferable to watching myself point a gun in your face.”

Will jerked, his eyes locking with Helen's. He was surprised at her bluntness, taken aback by the honesty. Swallowing, Will nodded.

“Fair enough. I was kind of trying to do the same,” he admitted and Magnus nodded.

“I will say it again, Will. The situation was far from ideal. I was compromised by the parasite. There's no other way I’d try to hurt you. I would never do it intentionally or by my own will, you must trust me on this.”

“I do,” Will whispered, feeling the guilt returning. Magnus must've caught up on that.

“Will?” She waited until he looked back up at her. “I know that you did what you had to do, to stop both of us from dying. I know it was an impossibly hard choice to make, but I'm proud you made it, and I need to be sure that you will be capable of doing it again if need be.” She got out of her chair and walked around the desk, putting a hand on Will's shoulder.

“I don't want to,” Will protested, shaking his head and looking like a lost five year old.

“Nobody wants to,” Magnus sighed. “But... Someone has to. For the sake of everyone else. And I trust you, Will.” She squeezed his shoulder.

There was a long silence, before Will finally nodded. Magnus smiled and gave him a pat on his shoulder before letting go. “Good boy.”

She reached for a manila folder and handed it to Will.

“Now why don't you help me a little with this one? You can take over the couch; it should be more comfortable than the chair.”

Will frowned, but took the folder and headed for the couch. He opened it and let out a snort when he saw it was an article about the Philadelphia experiment. Probably something Henry printed out from the internet. It was easy reading, if somehow boring. He made it through half of the page, before he had to stiffle the first yawn. When his head started nodding involuntarily, he felt the folder being taken out of his hands. Gentle hands pushed him to lay back and he sighed contentedly when a pillow miraculously appeared under his head and a blanket was thrown over him. Fingers brushed lightly over his forehead. He leaned into the touch, mumbling something unintelligible.

“Shhh... Just sleep. Everything's going to be okay.” Magnus whispered and Will finally let himself believe it.

He succumbed to sleep. When the dream came, all he had to do was open his eyes and take a look at Magnus, leaning over her desk, her face illuminated by the desk lamp and the computer screen, nibbling thoughtfully at a pen. Will took in the picture and closed his eyes, a small smile marring his face. There were no more dreams that night.

The End


End file.
